Staff & Ministry Team: First Baptist Church

Rick Sweenie: Pastor

Isaac Erickson: Associate Pastor

Heidi Peters: Church Secretary

Ray Peters: Christian  Education

Randall McQueeney: Diaconate Moderator

Karen Lund: Worship Coordinator

B.J. Inion: Missions Coordinator

Ethan Chambers: Outreach Coordinator

Kyla Choi: Church Treasurer

Shauna Taylor: Finance Coordinator

Pat Lund: Property Coordinator

 Church Clerk

Teresa Hildreth: Food Pantry Coordinator

Pastor Rick Sweenie graduated with honors with a double major in Bible and Human Resource Management at Grace University.  Rick became ordained to preach the Gospel at Central Baptist Church 1998.   Rick was with Good News Jail and Prison Ministry for 40 years training, placing and mentoring chaplains for correctional ministry in 12 states while serving as Director of Ministry Growth and Expansion.  While speaking at churches all over the country, Rick fell in love with First Baptist Church in Council Bluffs.  Rick Sweenie then left his long career with Good News, started out as interim pastor in 2019 and started as permanent full-time pastor First Baptist Church in January 2020.  Rick and Margie have been married for 51 years.

Pastor Isaac Erickson was brought on as an Associate Pastor and ordained to preach the Gospel in November 2024. Isaac has a great love for Christ, His Church, and enjoys studying theology to the glory of God. His interests include Reformed Baptist theology, Baptist history, and preaching Christ from the whole Bible. Isaac is a graduate of Bethel University (MN) and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Leslie have been married since 2020.